Marathonisi

Island

Island · Zakynthos, Greece 37.6850°N 20.8706°E

Why you should go

Ninety seconds on Marathonisi

Best time

Light-wind daysFinest on a quieter day

Season

Turtle nestingPark rules May to October

Access

Boat only5 to 15 minutes by boat

Getting there

How do you get to Marathonisi?

Only by boat, leaving from the southern shore of Zakynthos. Daily caiques and boat tours make the crossing, a water-taxi service runs to the islet, and small boats can be rented at Keri beach for a private visit.

Crowds

Is Marathonisi crowded?

Yes, in peak season the beach is very crowded, and it is a popular sight off the south coast of Zakynthos. Marathonisi is at its finest on a day that is not so busy and has light winds.

What to bring

What should visitors bring to Marathonisi?

Food, water and water shoes. The islet is uninhabited, so visitors carry over whatever they will need for the day, and one of its two beaches is pebbly underfoot.

Loggerhead turtles nest in the sand of this uninhabited islet in Laganas Bay, and a boat from the south coast of Zakynthos lets you swim off its beaches and into two small sea caves.

What makes it special

Marathonisi is an islet in Laganas Bay, also known as Marathon or Turtle Island. Loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta, come ashore in summer to lay their eggs in its long, gold sandy beach.

The islet has two beaches. Turtles nest on the sandy one, and National Marine Park guards stay on the island to protect the nests and eggs. The other is a steep, stony shore.

On that side, two small sea caves open in the rock. You can swim into them or reach them in a small boat.

The Ministry of Environment classifies Marathonisi as a nature protection area, to keep its particularly dense loggerhead nests and its natural habitat. The beach is a much-photographed spot.

Visiting

From Laganas, Agios Sostis, Porto Koukla or Limni Keri on the south coast, the crossing takes 5 to 15 minutes. You can join one of the caiques or tours that go every day, use the water-taxi, or rent a small boat from the beach at Keri.

Where you land depends on the boat. Only boats of up to 50 places dock at the sandy beach, while larger ones stop near the pebble beach, so check which beach a tour stops at before you book.

Ashore, the visit is a beach and a swim. There are no shops, bars or restaurants, so bring food and water for the day. A picnic boat cruises round the island selling snacks and drinks.

Tips

Pack water shoes, because one of the two beaches is covered in small stones.

If you want time on both beaches, hire a small boat rather than join a large tour. A private boat can stop at each, while the bigger tour boats only pull in off the other one.

Know before you goAs of November 2026, island guides give the marine park rules for Marathonisi, in force from 1 May to 31 October: no staying on the island after sunset, no parasols or sunshades, no fires and no rubbish left behind.